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Sunday night, my land line phone and my router for my computer got cooked by lightning that struck reeaallyy close to my house. Nothing caught on fire, and no one was hurt, thank goodness, but it meant being without my Internet for two days. Which was not nearly as annoying or traumatic as I would've expected it to be. There were certain aspects of it I actually loved. I spent most of that time reacquainting myself with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which I very much enjoyed doing.
I realized how much I miss reading books. And yes, I mean actually reading a physical book, complete with ink and paper and dust jacket and all those lovely things you don't get on an e-reader. I flat-out love reading books. For me, there is something akin to a spiritual feeling when I read. Especially when I'm reading a "real" book. I love the smell of old books and ink and the feeling of a book in my hands.
My sister thinks I'm a bit nuts for likening my predilection for physical books to something spiritual, but that is truly how I feel. Books are my friends. Books have always kept me company, even when most humans around me found me annoying and bothersome.
So yes, it does make me inexpressibly sad that my sister has gotten so used to reading on her Kindle that she finds it difficult to read a physical book anymore. It just makes something in me hurt in a way that I can't describe.
Not that I don't see the advantages of e-readers. I do. They make it possible to have access to many books at the same time, they save space, and they afford me privacy when reading things other people might raise eyebrows at. That in itself is reason enough for me to be in favor of e-readers. I appreciate my privacy and value it highly. I enjoy being able to read gay fiction, erotica, and religious texts all on the same device without anyone questioning me or telling me I shouldn't read this or that. It's a wonderful feeling.
But, so was reconnecting with physical books again. It always feels like coming home. I always feel safe inside whatever world it is I'm choosing to explore when I pick up a book. I don't feel the same sense of connection as strongly when I read electronically, despite the fact that I do it so often, especially in regards to fan fiction. Fan fiction is one of my joys in life, regardless of the means of access.
But what I missed most about having no Internet was not getting to talk with my friends. Much of my social interaction is online. My best friends are all either continents, countries or states away from me, and being online makes it possible to connect with them, for which I can only ever be grateful.
I was a bit of a technophobe for a really long time. In some ways, I still am. I love my computer, not necessarily for what it does, but for what it allows me to do. That is, connect to people.
The computer itself is just a tool, but I'm grateful that it allows me to express myself. I feel I can be more open and truthful online than I can in my day-to-day existence. That may seem a sad thing, but it's true, and I'm grateful to once again have that outlet available to me.
I realized how much I miss reading books. And yes, I mean actually reading a physical book, complete with ink and paper and dust jacket and all those lovely things you don't get on an e-reader. I flat-out love reading books. For me, there is something akin to a spiritual feeling when I read. Especially when I'm reading a "real" book. I love the smell of old books and ink and the feeling of a book in my hands.
My sister thinks I'm a bit nuts for likening my predilection for physical books to something spiritual, but that is truly how I feel. Books are my friends. Books have always kept me company, even when most humans around me found me annoying and bothersome.
So yes, it does make me inexpressibly sad that my sister has gotten so used to reading on her Kindle that she finds it difficult to read a physical book anymore. It just makes something in me hurt in a way that I can't describe.
Not that I don't see the advantages of e-readers. I do. They make it possible to have access to many books at the same time, they save space, and they afford me privacy when reading things other people might raise eyebrows at. That in itself is reason enough for me to be in favor of e-readers. I appreciate my privacy and value it highly. I enjoy being able to read gay fiction, erotica, and religious texts all on the same device without anyone questioning me or telling me I shouldn't read this or that. It's a wonderful feeling.
But, so was reconnecting with physical books again. It always feels like coming home. I always feel safe inside whatever world it is I'm choosing to explore when I pick up a book. I don't feel the same sense of connection as strongly when I read electronically, despite the fact that I do it so often, especially in regards to fan fiction. Fan fiction is one of my joys in life, regardless of the means of access.
But what I missed most about having no Internet was not getting to talk with my friends. Much of my social interaction is online. My best friends are all either continents, countries or states away from me, and being online makes it possible to connect with them, for which I can only ever be grateful.
I was a bit of a technophobe for a really long time. In some ways, I still am. I love my computer, not necessarily for what it does, but for what it allows me to do. That is, connect to people.
The computer itself is just a tool, but I'm grateful that it allows me to express myself. I feel I can be more open and truthful online than I can in my day-to-day existence. That may seem a sad thing, but it's true, and I'm grateful to once again have that outlet available to me.
